My Friend the King | |
---|---|
Directed by | Michael Powell |
Written by | John Jefferson Farjeon |
Produced by | Jerome Jackson |
Starring | Jerry Verno |
Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
Edited by | Arthur Seaborne |
Distributed by | Film Engineering |
Release date |
|
Running time | 47 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
My Friend the King is a 1932 British comedy film, directed by Michael Powell and starring Jerry Verno. The film was a follow-up to Two Crowded Hours , Powell's unexpectedly popular directorial debut of the previous year, with comedian Verno reprising his role as a chirpy Cockney taxi driver who gets mixed up in shady doings. This film however was less well-received, with Powell recalling it as "a complete failure", also noting that he worked on six films during 1932 and that "they couldn't all be good...and they weren't".
My Friend the King is one of eleven quota quickies directed by Powell between 1931 and 1936 of which no print is known to survive. The film is not held in the BFI National Archive, and is classed as "missing, believed lost". [1]
Taxi driver Jim befriends Ruritanian child King Ludwig while the latter is on a visit to London. A plot is afoot by sinister forces to kidnap Ludwig, and Jim becomes caught up in the drama. After the child is abducted Jim uses all his ingenuity, including cross-dressing as a countess and becoming involved in a car chase, to rescue him from his captors.
Contemporary reviewers enjoyed Verno's performance but felt he was let down by the feeble material with which he had to work, with Bioscope commenting "a better vehicle really should have been devised for a comedian of such ability as Verno." [1] Picturegoer Weekly found: "There is not much subtlety about the burlesque, but it is presented with plenty of action...not great stuff this, but helps pass three-quarters of an hour quite pleasantly." [2]
Albert Brooks is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1987 comedy-drama film Broadcast News and was widely praised for his performance in the 2011 action drama film Drive. Brooks has also acted in films such as Taxi Driver (1976), Private Benjamin (1980), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), and My First Mister (2001). He has written, directed, and starred in several comedy films, such as Modern Romance (1981), Lost in America (1985), and Defending Your Life (1991). He is also the author of 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America (2011).
Jerry Lewis was an American comedian, filmmaker, actor, humanitarian and singer, who was famously nicknamed "The King of Comedy" throughout the United States. Lewis appeared in more than 59 motion pictures, including the first sixteen films with his partner, singer Dean Martin, during their act as Martin and Lewis.
The King of Comedy is a 1982 American satirical black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard. Written by Paul D. Zimmerman, the film focuses on themes such as celebrity worship and American media culture. 20th Century Fox released the film on February 18, 1983, in the United States, though the film was released two months earlier in Iceland.
The Rasp is a whodunit mystery novel by Philip MacDonald. It was published in 1924 and introduces his series character, detective Colonel Anthony Gethryn. It is set in a country house in rural England.
Two Crowded Hours is a 1931 British comedy drama film directed by Michael Powell and starring John Longden, Jane Welsh, and Jerry Verno. It was made as a Quota quickie and is the first film where Powell is credited as the director. No known copies of the film have survived to the present day, and Two Crowded Hours has been declared to be "Missing, Believed Lost" by the British Film Institute.
Hotel Splendide is a 1932 British comedy drama film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie.
Jerry Verno was a British film actor. He appeared in 39 films between 1931 and 1966, including five films directed by Michael Powell, and two with Alfred Hitchcock.
Geoffrey Faithfull B.S.C., was a British cinematographer who worked on more than 190 feature films from starting in the industry in the 1910s. Faithfull also directed two films: For You Alone (1945) and I'll Turn to You (1946). He worked on several films with Michael Powell and among his later work was responsible for the 1960 SF classic Village of the Damned.
His Lordship is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie.
Someday is a 1935 British romance film, directed by Michael Powell and starring Esmond Knight and Margaret Lockwood. The screenplay was adapted from a novel by I. A. R. Wylie.
Born Lucky is a 1933 British rags to riches musical-comedy drama, directed by Michael Powell and starring Rene Ray and John Longden. The screenplay was adapted from the 1928 novel Mops by Marguerite Florence Barclay.
The Star Reporter is a 1932 British crime drama, directed by Michael Powell and starring Harold French and Garry Marsh. The screenplay was adapted from a story by popular thriller writer Philip MacDonald.
To Be a Lady is a 1934 British romance drama, directed and produced by George King, and starring Chili Bouchier and Bruce Lester. The film is the first screen editing credit of American film editor Elmo Williams.
Squadron Leader X is a 1943 British World War II spy drama directed by Lance Comfort and starring Eric Portman and Ann Dvorak. The screenplay was adapted by Miles Malleson and Wolfgang Wilhelm from a short story by Emeric Pressburger. Unfortunately, the BFI National Archive currently considered this film as "missing, believed lost".
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1932 British mystery film directed by Gareth Gundrey and starring John Stuart, Robert Rendel and Frederick Lloyd. It is based on the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, in which Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate a suspicious death on Dartmoor. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures. The screenplay was written by Edgar Wallace.
Edward Frank Dunn was an American actor best known for his roles in comedy films, supporting many comedians such as Charley Chase, Charlie Chaplin, W. C. Fields and Laurel and Hardy.
Bradley Page was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1931 to 1943.
My Pal, the King is a 1932 American Pre-Code Western film directed by Kurt Neumann, starring Tom Mix, and featuring Mickey Rooney and James Kirkwood. The screenplay concerns a rodeo cowboy who helps a child king.
His Wife's Mother is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Jerry Verno, Molly Lamont and Jack Hobbs. It is an adaptation of the stage farce The Queer Fish by William Matthew Scott, pen name Will Scott. The film was made at Elstree Studios by British International Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art director John Mead.
The New Commandment is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Howard Higgin and written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin. It is based on the 1925 novel Invisible Wounds by Frederick Palmer. The film stars Blanche Sweet, Ben Lyon, Holbrook Blinn, Clare Eames, Effie Shannon, and Dorothy Cumming. The film was released on November 1, 1925, by First National Pictures.